These crunchy homemade granola bars are ideal for on-the-go snacking. They are my latest morning addiction.

Since I have to get up very early for work, I have breakfast around 4:30-5 am. By the time I am halfway through the morning I am very hungry again. The past week, these granola bars have saved my life. They are the perfect 9:30-10 am treat to go with my herbal tea.

Plus, they are so easy to take with me. I own a mobile popup shop to sell the bread and baked goods my friend makes during the night. Everything I eat and drink has to be easy to take with me while on the road.

I got my small cooler with my lunch salad, my thermos with herbal tea, a bottle of water, and now a small box with a granola bar is added to give me the midmorning energy I need.

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CRUNCHY HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS WITH NUTS, SEEDS, AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Packed with nuts and seeds these granola bars are a nutrient-dense, filling snack that will give you an energy kick to keep going until lunch.

Though they are not overly sweet, I am trying to make a new version that doesn’t use maple syrup. However, I haven’t found a good mix yet. The maple syrup caramelizes beautifully when baked in the oven, holding all the seeds and nuts in place so the granola bars don’t fall apart.

Tinkering with recipes is what I love so give me a few more experiment rounds and I will have an unsweetened version ready.

INGREDIENTS (size of the pan: 20x27cm)

2¼ cup cashew nuts, lightly crushed
1 cup pecans, lightly crushed
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup sunflower seeds
⅓ cup vegan dark chocolate chips
1½ tbsp poppy seeds
⅓ cup maple syrup
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
½-1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp coconut oil
Himalayan pink salt (optional)

FYI: I sprinkled the granola bars with Himalayan salt (not too much) before baking as we love the salted caramel-like flavor.

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DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a baking pan with baking paper.

Combine all seeds, nuts in a bowl. Add the chocolate chips, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut oil. Mix well until all nuts and seeds are evenly coated.